Last November, Disneyland introduced a new Audio Description service for guests with visual impairments. Utilizing a Disney-designed, pocket-sized device, the service provides spoken narration for over 20 attractions and shows in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Last week, Disney announced an upgraded functionality to the same device that now allows visitors with visual impairments to hear audio descriptions of outdoor areas in Disneyland, as well as request even more detail with the device's new interactive audio menu. Mark Jones, manager of Disney domestic services for guests with disabilities, described the new service as an "audio map" of Disneyland. The devices uses GPS technology to trigger pre-recorded messages, which play automatically as the user enters certain "zones" throughout the theme parks.

Mark Jones, manager of Disney domestic services for guests with disabilities, introduces a new outdoor audio description service for Disneyland. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

Disney's handheld device is about the size of a smartphone or a PDA, weighs 7.2 ounces, and can be worn on a lanyard around the neck. The device includes headphones, but visitors can also plug their own ear buds or headphones into a standard jack on the unit. A brief audio introduction provides instruction in the use of the device and explains the navigation buttons, and can be repeated as needed to help the user become familiar with the unit.

Among a group of guests invited to test out the new device last week was Steve Bauer with the Braille Institute, who said he found the device to be very easy to use. Bauer said that he was not very familiar with Disneyland, and had relied on the Braille guidebook on past visits. He called the new device a big improvement over the bulky guidebook. "It was difficult to walk around and read at the same time," he said. "This has the advantage of being able to walk and listen at the same time."

During a media preview last week, as the group walked from the Plaza Pavilion into Fantasyland towards Sleeping Beauty Castle, the device gave a overview of the Central Plaza area, describing the Castle in some detail (listen to an example):

The device began announcing another recording as the group entered Fantasyland. At the conclusion of that recording, a voice menu listed additional options. Using large, raised buttons on the device, users could request more information about nearby rides, stores, restaurants, and even bathrooms.

The descriptions are designed to give a basic overview of each topic. The descriptions of each ride provide useful information about the type of ride (merry-go-round, dark ride), and ride vehicle (tea cup, canal boat), along with safety restrictions. The "enhanced" outdoor description is designed to complement, not replace, the audio description already offered on select Disney rides. For example, the device provides an external description of Snow White's Scary Adventures as part of the Fantasyland audio, but will also automatically play a more detailed audio description of the actual ride once the guest enters the attraction queue.

The store descriptions include the general types of merchandise available for purchase. Restaurant descriptions include a summary of the most popular menu items, and whether vegetarian options or children's meals are available, but stops short of providing prices or a full menu listing. Bauer said, "I was suggesting it would be great to have the restaurant menus—they give brief descriptions of the types of foods they serve at the different restaurants, but it would be nice to have the menus actually on there."

Racquel Becipeda and Julian Vargas of the National Federation of the Blind test the new outdoor audio description service at Disneyland. Photo by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix.

The list of nearby restrooms provides the location of each facility, but the device does not offer navigational tools. And while it is a GPS-powered device, users don't get turn-by-turn directions, or even a distance estimate to a specific destination. Jones clarified that the device was not intended to provide "way finding" information, but Bauer suggested "It would be good to know which way to go to get to something."

In testing, I found the device to be most useful to users who wanted to take their time walking through the lands. As we walked through the park, the device would interrupt itself when we reached the next "zone," and it was not possible to go back and listen to the past recording without retracing our steps. In a zone-dense area like Fantasyland, you cannot walk more than a few feet before entering a new zone. It can also take some time to listen to all of the audio for a given area, but you can easily skip sections that don't interest you.

The enhanced outdoor descriptions are currently only available for Disneyland park, and will be added to Disney California Adventure as that park's renovation is completed in 2012. The ride descriptions are available at selected attractions in both parks. Each park has 15 of the handheld assistance devices available for guest use. There is no charge for the service, but a $25 refundable deposit is required to check out the device.

Disney's new service was introduced just days after a California district court judge granted class action status in a lawsuit filed earlier this year by three Disneyland Resort annual passholders who claim that Disney's theme parks and websites discriminate against blind and visually impaired guests. The suit sought certification for 10 different classes, based on claims of discrimination in several areas of the theme park experience, but the judge declined to certify four of the classes. No trial date has been set for the remaining issues.

A new policy at the Disneyland Resort is changing the way parents with young children plan solo trips to the parks. In the past, Disney required that children who met a ride's height requirement but were under 7 years old be accompanied by a "responsible person" who was older than 7 and also met the height requirement to ride alone. This let families pair siblings together on rides, and also helped facilitate "rider swaps" in situations where one or more children were too short to ride at all.

Now Disney requires that children under 7 years be accompanied by a responsible person aged 14 or older, who also meets the height requirement to ride alone. This now prevents 6- and 8-year-olds from riding alone together, as now you need a teenager to ride with preteens.

The policy also applies to the rider swap. In the past, a parent could leave a 6-year-old in the care of a 13-year-old while the parent rode with another child. That is no longer the case—the "responsible person" waiting with a child while the parent rides must be 14 years or older.

MousePlanet reader Teddi calls the new policy "painful," and explains how it impacted her recent trip with three children: an 11-year-old and two 6-year-olds. Teddi tried to ride with her children on Silly Symphony Swings, which has one height requirement to ride, and another to ride alone. In the past, Teddi could ride with one of her younger children in a tandem swing, while the older child rode with the other younger child in another tandem swing.

This time, Teddi was told that she could still ride with one of the 6-year-olds, but that the other 6-year-old could not ride with the 11-year-old, even though the older child is tall enough to ride on his own. She was also told that the older sibling could not wait with the younger sibling in the rider swap area. In the end, the 11-year-old was allowed to ride on his own, while Teddi waited with the two 6-year-olds.

Teddi said, "My littles were disappointed to the point of tears when the entrance [cast member] gave us misinformation and when we went to try to board, we were denied." She said, "I'm not going to argue it, because Disney has the right to set policies as they believe best protect all parties," but continued, "I'm glad we won't be taking the kids again 'til after Christmas, which will fall one week after my twins hit 7... otherwise, not sure a solo mom trip would be worth the stress and upset kids."

Parenting in the Parks columnist Adrienne Krock said about the new policy:

"I understand why Disney wants to ensure that responsible individuals accompany young children on rides. On the other hand, I see two problems with the new policy: First off, age restrictions are difficult to enforce. Unfortunately, parents already fib about their children's ages to save money on admission media, so there's nothing to stop them from fibbing about children's ages, whether 5-year-olds now become 7, or 12-year-olds will now claim to be 14.

"Secondly, as an Annual Passholder, for years I have taken two or three children to the parks by myself and this will make it much more difficult for parents to take trips alone with their children. That said, many attractions can accommodate one parent and two or three small children in the same ride vehicle. If the families can still sit together in the same vehicle, but different rows, they may not even notice the policy change very much. For local parents, this may mean they need to eliminate a small number of attractions from visits when only one parent accompanies the children. Based on reactions on the MousePad message boards to this announcement and to announced upcoming ride closures, for vacation planners, often eliminating even just one or two attractions from their options will make them very upset."

How does this new policy impact your family? Will it change the way you plan trips to Disneyland? Share your thoughts on our MousePad discussion forum.

We reported back in April that the Disneyland Resort would remove photos from new Annual Passes, and was testing a new program where passholders could upload their own AP photo from home, completely bypassing the current in-park photo session.

Now we've learned that Annual Passholder processing centers in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will close Sunday, July 31, as the Disneyland Resort moves to the Walt Disney World model where all AP transactions are handled at the Resort ticket booths. Starting Monday, August 1, new passholders will purchase and receive their APs at the ticket booths as they do now, but will now skip the step of going to a processing center to have an AP photo taken. Instead, passholders will be given instructions on how to upload their AP photo from home, or can go to any Photopass photographer in either park to have a photo taken for them.

Terminals in the Resort parking booths have recently been upgraded to show a photo of the passholder, allowing parking cast members to verify identity without requesting additional identification. Passholders are still asked to show ID when using their pass to obtain a discount at Resort stores and restaurants.

As David Koenig reported in April, Disneyland is looking to use the Plaza Pavilion, currently the site of Disneyland's Annual Passholder processing center, as the new home for the Blue Ribbon Bakery. The expanded bakery would have a Mary Poppins theme, and allow the current Bakery space to be used once again as an indoor seating area for the Carnation Cafe.

The processing center inside Disney California Adventure is currently located inside the Greetings from California store, which is slated to close this fall for renovation as part of the DCA main entrance remodeling project.

Our Fall 2011 Disneyland Resort MouseAdventure event will be held in the twilight of summer, September 24 and 25. Advanced teams will really need to be in the zone as they compete on Saturday afternoon/evening and all day Sunday, while Basic teams will experience a bit less terror with just one full day on Sunday. The towering nature of DCA construction means that unfortunately we will not be able to offer a Day at the Park or 101 division for this event.

We are pleased to introduce two new elements to MouseAdventure for this event:

Basic Division ($105 per team) – teams can choose to play competitively or non-competitively. Teams choosing the noncompetitive option have extra time to complete their quests before turning in their answer sheets; scores will be published the following week on MousePlanet.com. Disneyland park admission is required, and is not included in the event registration price.

Advanced Division ($155 per team) – teams must bring a smartphone on Saturday that has a web browser, e-mail capability, and audio output (either external speaker or headphone jack). These devices are not required or allowed to be used during the event on Sunday. Park-hopper admission for both Disneyland and DCA is required, and is not included in the event registration price.

We are postponing registration for the Fall 2011 MouseAdventure event at Disneyland by one week to allow players enough time to plan and form their teams. Registration will now open at 8:00 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. Registration fees are for teams of two to four players and include all event materials, but do not include park admission or Resort parking.

A Family category will be recognized and awarded if at least 10 teams in the Basic division include children under 13.

All individual players who participate in a Disneyland MouseAdventure event in 2011 (either the Spring or Fall events) and the upcoming Fall 2011 Walt Disney World MouseAdventure event will be recognized with a special button.

Get your team together and prepare to enter The MouseAdventure Zone...

...MousePlanet reader Mark Hahn shared a photo of the lettering installed last week on the new entrance of Disney California Adventure park. The structure also sports red flags atop each flagpole above the new entrance.

Flags and signage are added to the new DCA entrance structure. Photo by Mark Hahn.

...Disneyland has joined the list of companies warning visitors about "Carmageddon," the 53-hour closure of a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 405 (referred to locally as the 405 freeway) in both directions from Getty Center Drive to U.S. Route 101 (the 101 freeway) due to a scheduled demolition project. The closure, which starts at midnight this coming Friday, July 15, falls on the weekend of Disneyland's anniversary and the annual Disneyana fan club convention.

Options for Disneyland-bound travelers include arriving a day early if driving or flying, spending a night or two in Anaheim instead of driving back through the closure area, or flying into Orange County airport instead of LAX.

...The Disneyana Fan Club is holding its annual convention this week at the Crowne Plaza Resort Anaheim-Garden Grove. The event starts Tuesday night (July 12) with an "it's a small world" Welcome Party featuring Alice Davis and Maggie Richardson. The event continues with special events and seminars all week, concluding with Disneyland's 56th Anniversary celebration on Sunday. A full schedule of events is available online (link). You can purchase tickets to individual events or to the entire convention—visit the club's website for additional information (link).

Due to Disneyland's anniversary on Sunday, the club has moved its popular Show and Sale event to Saturday. The show and sale features thousands of Disney-licensed products from dozens of sellers. The Show and Sale opens at 9am for convention attendees, 10 a.m. for Disneyana Fan Club members and 11 a.m. to the general public. The show and sale ends at 5 p.m.

...Visitors planning trips to the Disneyland Resort should make a point to check the Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures section each week for the most recent updates. The Disneyland Resort Web site currently only publishes refurbishment information about six weeks in advance. Be sure to check the most recent Park Update for the latest changes, as MousePlanet does not edit past Park Updates to reflect changes.

Crowd information and forecasts are provided by TouringPlans.com, the website of the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, to help you better plan your trip to the Disneyland Resort. TouringPlans.com gathers wait time data from a team of in-park researchers and users of their Lines mobile phone application, and then predicts crowd levels for the next 365 days. Using a scale from 1 to 10, TouringPlans.com has a 90 percent accuracy of predicting the crowds to within 1 point, helping visitors prepare for their trips so they can "Do more. Wait less."

There should be high crowd levels all week long as we're in the height of the summer season. The two lowest levels of Annual Passholders will be blocked out everyday, meaning that these numbers are greatest impacted by vacationers descending upon Disneyland. TouringPlans.com can help you avoid falling into the typical tourist pitfalls with our per-park Crowd Calendar, Lines - Mobile Wait Times App that gives access to current and estimated wait times for attractions, and Touring Plans detailing the best plan of attack for hitting the attractions. Now more than ever, it's a good time to subscribe to TouringPlans.com to plan your strategy to avoid the crowds!

Below are the predicted resort-wide crowd numbers for select days generated by the TouringPlans professional statisticians as measured for the upcoming week. For the access to the full year and per-park crowd level predictions, visit our Crowd Calendar.

Date

Overall

Monday, July 11, 2011

8 / 10

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

8 / 10

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

9 / 10

Thursday, July 14, 2011

8 / 10

Here are some quick-hit notes that we hope you'll find helpful as you prepare your visits for the week:

Disneyland park's least busy days will be Tuesday and Thursday, when it's a 7.9 on the Crowd Calendar.

Disneyland

Space Mountain – opens late on Mondays and Wednesdays, and close early on Sundays and Tuesdays July 11-26 due to scheduled maintenance:

Matterhorn Bobsleds – closed July 11 to September 1 for refurbishment.

Haunted Mansion – closed August 29 to September 15 for installation of the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.

Indiana Jones Adventure – closed September 6 & 7 for refurbishment.

Pirates of the Caribbean – closed September 7 to November 23 for refurbishment.

Blue Bayou – closed September 7 to November 23 for refurbishment.

Space Mountain – closed September 9–15 for installation of the Ghost Galaxy overlay.

Mark Twain – closed September 26–28 for deck oiling.

Disney California Adventure

Seasonal refurbishments:

California Screamin' – closed September 6 to October 14 for refurbishment.

Construction-related closures:

Engine-Ears Toys– closed August 1, 2011 to May 30, 2012 for renovation.

Downtown Disney & Disneyland Resort Hotels

Disneyland Hotel Neverland Pool – closed due to construction. The hotel's new pool area and new Monorail water slide are now open for hotel guests.

Disneyland Hotel Guest Laundry – closed due to construction. Hotel guests can use the laundry facility at Disney's Paradise Pier hotel during the refurbishment.

Disneyland Hotel Fitness Center – closed due to construction. The fitness center equipment has been relocated to one of the hotel meeting rooms; ask the front desk for the most recent information as you check in.

Note: Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, call Disneyland at (714) 781-7290.

Check here to see if a large convention, competition or park event might fall during your next trip to the Disneyland Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

NFFC–Disneyana Fan Club All Disneyana Show and Sale – Saturday, July 16 (link). [Note, this event is taking place on a Saturday this year, instead of the traditional Sunday, due to Disneyland's anniversary.]

Disneyland 56th Anniversary – July 17. The only in-park event so far announced is a Robert Olszewski merchandise release on Sunday, July 17 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Disney Gallery on Main Street. See the Art of Disney Parks website for details.

Sizzling Summer Sale at the World of Disney Store – July 23, from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. A special shopping opportunity for Disneyland Resort annual passholders. No additional details are available,

D23 Expo – August 19-21 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Tickets for the D23 Expo 2011 are now on sale event website.

Sixth annual Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend – September 2–4. Registration for the 2011 event is sold out, but you can join the wait list at the Run Disney website.

Fall 2011 MouseAdventure at the Disneyland Resort – Saturday, September 24 (Advanced division) and Sunday, September 25 (Advanced, Basic and 101 divisions) at the Disneyland Resort. Visit MouseAdventure.com to sign up for our newsletter.

13th annual Gays Days at the Disneyland Resort (unofficial event) – September 30 to October 2. Event attendance will be higher at Disneyland on Saturday, DCA on Sunday (link).

Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland – September 30; October 3, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 and 31. Advance-purchase tickets are on sale now for Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders via the AP section of Disneyland.com or by calling (714) 781–4000. Tickets are to the general public starting July 1 via Disneyland.com.

CHOC Walk in the Park – Sunday October 16. Registration is now open via the event website.

Utah Education Association convention (UEA, a.k.a. "Utah Escapes to Anaheim") – October 20 & 21. (Link). Expect unusually large attendance levels October 20–23 as Utah students and families take advantage of a 4-day weekend created by their school's participation in a state education convention. Not all Utah schools or teachers close for or attend UEA, but the impact on the Resort is usually noticeable enough to mention.

Fall 2011 MouseAdventure at Walt Disney World – Saturday, November 12. Registration is now open, visit MouseAdventure.com for more information and to sign up for our newsletter.

Winter

Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort – November 14, 2011 to January 8, 2012.

Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend – January 27–29. Registration for the half marathon and family races is now open at the Run Disney website.

Grad Nite events – this party for high school seniors graduating in 2012 will be held May 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and June 1, 7, 8, 14. The 2012 event includes admisison to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure during regular operating hours, and a private party in Disneyland after the park closes to the public for the night.

We also recommend checking the convention calendar at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau website. When looking at that site, remember to note both the number of people and the number of rooms resulting from each convention. A gathering of 25,000 people booking few room nights (indicating most will be driving in to the area for their meeting) can impact traffic around the Resort much more than a crowd of 25,000 staying in area hotels. Of course, that second group is going to make finding a hotel room more difficult (and possibly more expensive), so it's best to book your own room as early as possible if you see that a big convention is in town during your trip.

Several current promotions offer discounted admission to the Disneyland Resort. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the number of days the tickets are valid. Check out the category that best matches the amount of time you plan to spend at the resort, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

This first section is a list of discounts on ticket-only purchases. Though it has become more common in recent years, Disneyland tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Southern California or Northern Mexico. For residents outside that area, the best discounts available tend to be simple advance purchase discounts.

If you know of any additional discounts, offers, promotions, or contests that should be listed in this section, drop us a line. Note, we are no longer listing offers from the Anaheim-Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, as their convenience fee negates any savings.

One Day, One Park Ticket – Regularly $80/$74

One Day Park Hopper – Regularly $105/$99

No discounts currently available to the general public. Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them.

Two Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $158/$146

Two Day Park Hopper – Regularly $173/$161

No discounts currently available to the general public. Check with your employer, school or credit union to see if any discounts are available through them.

Three Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $209/$193

Three Day Park Hopper – Regularly $224/$208

3-Day So Cal Resident Ticket ($139) and 3-Day So Cal Resident Park Hopper ($154) – The 2011 3-Day So Cal resident discount ticket is $139, $31 more expensive than the 2010 version, and offers Southern California residents three one-day admissions to either Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure. The ticket is the same price for adults and children. This base ticket is NOT a park hopper, and allows admission to only one park per day. For an additional $15 per person, you can upgrade to a 3-day Park Hopper ticket that allows admission to both parks each day. The ticket is valid June 3 through September 5, 2011, but is blocked out July 2-4 and August 21-22. The ticket has a 45-day "fuse," which means you must use all three admissions within 45 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days.

Promotional 3-Day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($199/$183) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Disneyland website. Ticket must be purchased between June 12 and October 1, 2011, and is not available for purchase at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Ticket is valid beginning June 19, and first use must be on or before October 1, 2011. The ticket has a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all three admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). This ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ( $5-$25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Advance Purchase 3-day, One Park Per Day Bonus Ticket ($199/$183) or 3-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($214/$198) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. First use must be on or before December 31, 2012. These tickets have a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all three admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday).

If purchased from the Disneyland website, this ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ( $5-$25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Ticket may also be available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and participating travel agents. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (a $15/day value).

Disney Military Promotional 3-Day Park Hopper Ticket($99) – A discounted price offered to active or retired U.S. military personnel or their spouses. Based on past offers, Disney defines "Eligible Service Members" as active or retired members of the US military, including active members of the National Guard or Reservists and active or retired members of the US Coast Guard. This discount is available at MWR/ITT offices at your military base, or at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Valid military ID is required. The price is the same for adults and children, and total of six tickets may be purchased per military member, regardless of who purchases the tickets (the member or their spouse). Tickets must be purchased by September 28 and used by October 1. The ticket has the following 2011 blockout dates: February 18–21; April 17–23; and July 1–4.

As far as we can tell, there is no "fuse" on this ticket, so you may have more than the standard 13 days from first use to use the remaining two admissions, but we highly recommend you contact your base MWR/ITT office for more details before making travel plans. Please note that this ticket is not a "bonus" ticket, and so does not include an early admission day.

Four Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $234/$216

Four Day Park Hopper – Regularly $249/$231

Costco 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket plus $50 Disney gift card ($199) – A special offer for Costco members who are also residents of Southern California, this ticket is available online and in select Costco stores. Unlike most other park hopper tickets, this ticket has no "fuse" - you can use the first admission today, and have until August 31, 2011 to use the remaining admission days before the ticket expires. The ticket is blocked out July 1-4, 2011 and August 21-22, 2011.

This ticket comes with a $50 Disney gift card, and has an "upgrade value" of $151 if you want to update the 4-day ticket to a higher value ticket or annual pass.

The ticket states that visitors "Must reside within ZIP codes 90000-93599" and that "Proof of residency required upon redemption." The ticket you purchase at Costco is a valid admission ticket, and you can take it directly to a main entrance gate to use it. We've been told that, to prevent the unauthorized "transfer" of tickets between visitors (i.e., you use the first two days of the ticket and give it to a friend to use the second two days), visitors will be required to write their name on the ticket when it is first used for admission, and to show ID with that same name upon subsequent admissions. Obviously minor children will be exempt from the ID requirement, but will also be required to write their name on the ticket when it is first used. Adults should plan to have ID with them to use the ticket.

Promotional 4-Day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($219/$201) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Disneyland website. Ticket must be purchased between June 12 and October 1, 2011, and is not available for purchase at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Ticket is valid beginning June 19, and first use must be on or before October 1, 2011. The ticket has a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all four admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). This ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ( $5-$25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Advance Purchase 4-day, One Park Per Day Bonus Ticket ($219/$201) or 4-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($234/$216) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. First use must be on or before December 31, 2012. These tickets have a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all four admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday).

If purchased from the Disneyland website, this ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ( $5-$25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Ticket may also be available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and participating travel agents. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (a $15/day value).

Five Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $251/$231

Five Day Park Hopper – Regularly $266/$246

Promotional 5-Day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($231/$211) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Disneyland website. Ticket must be purchased between June 12 and October 1, 2011, and is not available for purchase at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Ticket is valid beginning June 19, and first use must be on or before October 1, 2011. The ticket has a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all five admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). This ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ( $5 to $25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Advance Purchase 5-day, One Park Per Day Bonus Ticket ($231/$211) or 5-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($246/$226) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. First use must be on or before December 31, 2012. These tickets have a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all five admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday).

If purchased from the Disneyland website, this ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ($5 to $25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Ticket may also be available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and participating travel agents. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (a $15/day value).

Six Day, One Park per Day Ticket – Regularly $256/$239

Six Day Park Hopper – Regularly $271/$251

Promotional 6-Day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($236/$216) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Disneyland website. Ticket must be purchased between June 12 and October 1, 2011, and is not available for purchase at the Disneyland Resort ticket booths. Ticket is valid beginning June 19, and first use must be on or before October 1, 2011. The ticket has a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all three admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday). This ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ( $5-$25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Advance Purchase 6-day, One Park Per Day Bonus Ticket ($236/$216) or 6-day Park Hopper Bonus Ticket ($251/$231) – A discounted price for advance purchase through the Internet or select dealers. First use must be on or before December 31, 2012. These tickets have a 13-day "fuse," which means you must use all six admissions within 13 days of the first use, or forfeit the unused days. "Bonus Tickets" include one early admission day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday).

If purchased from the Disneyland website, this ticket can be purchased and printed at home the same day you plan to use it (eTicket service). You can also ask to pick up the ticket at Will Call ($5 fee) or have it mailed to your home ( $5-$25 delivery fee, depending on service.)

Ticket may also be available from AAA offices in Northern California, Nevada, and Utah (not currently listed at the AAA Web site, you may need to call your local office). Disney Stores (California), Safeway supermarkets (California and Arizona), and participating travel agents. It is best to call and confirm before visiting a location, however. If purchased from AAA, the tickets come with free parking at the Mickey & Friends parking garage (a $15/day value).

Disneyland Resort Annual Passports

No discounts currently available for new purchases. Southern California residents can take advantage of the monthly-payment plan when purchasing any but the Premier Annual Passport.

2011 Southern California CityPass ($276/$229) – This pass includes a 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket (including one early-entry day), a one-day admission to either San Diego Zoo or San Diego Wild Animal Park, as well as one-day admission to Sea World San Diego and Universal Studios Hollywood. The CityPass expires 14 days after first use at any location, and is valid through December 31, 2011. Purchase CityPass through the Disneyland website or on-site at the ticket booths of Disneyland Resort or the other theme parks included in the pass. You can also purchase directly from the CityPass website though this has a minimum $7.50 shipping charge.

Hotel/Travel Packages

Summer discount offers – The Disneyland Resort released a new hotel discount for Summer 2011.

Room-only hotel discounts

The Resort is offering discounts of up to 25 percent on select Disneyland Resort Hotel stays for arrivals through August 13, 2011. Travel must be booked by July 23, 2011, and a two-night minimum stay is required. Discount applies only to standard and concierge level rooms. There is a limit of two rooms per reservation, and a maximum of five people per room. Travel must be completed by August 14, 2011.

The offer also includes 2 Fastpass tickets per person, per stay, and the fine-print reveals that Disney will be operating a "specially created, limited time Disney's Fastpass return line for The Little Mermaid – Ariel's Undersea Adventure attraction" that will be available through September 11, 2011.

Book online at the Disneyland website, call Walt Disney Travel Company at (714) 520-6425, or contact your favorite travel agent.

Costco Travel Packages – Many different travel packages including visits to Disneyland and Disneyland hotels are available through Costco. When purchasing a Costco Disneyland travel package, extras that will be included are: Mickey's Toontown Madness admission (currently available Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays), a character breakfast collectible pin and lanyard, and a Costco luggage tag per person, plus a $20 Disneyland Resort gift card per package.

Disney's Resort Magic and Good Neighbor Magic Packages – Package includes accommodations one of the three resort hotels or at one of 40 Good Neighbor hotels; Souvenir Park Hopper ticket with voucher for admission to Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness, plus one Magic Morning (early entry) for three-day or longer Park Hoppers; preferred seating at four DCA attractions (Disney's Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, Muppet*Vision 3D, It's Tough to be a Bug!, Golden Dreams); Preferred Showing of Turtle Talk with Crush (Priority Viewing at the first Turtle Talk with Crush show of the day, on any one day - one voucher per Guest); Disney Dream coin keepsake (one per package), luggage tag and lanyard with pin; a Downtown Disney Fun Card; and a "Character Call" from Mickey, Minnie, Goofy or Crush. Contact Disney Travel or your favorite travel agent.

Contact a MousePlanet sponsor travel agency for assistance in booking your next trip

Other Discounts

Character Dining Vouchers – Discounted character dining vouchers are available for purchase online, in advance of your trip, through Get Away Travel.

Disney Visa Discounted Stroller Rental – If you have a Disney Visa card you can rent up to two strollers at a discount of 50%. This offer is valid only at the Main Gate rental location between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Rainforest Cafe Safari Club – Members of the Rainforest Cafe get priority seating when available (which makes a huge difference on busy days), and a 10% discount on entrees for up to four people. Additionally, after signing up, your membership card will be mailed to you and be accompanied by a $10 award good for your next visit to a Rainforest Cafe. So if you know you will be eating there while at Disneyland and have a Rainforest Cafe local to you, it may make sense to prejoin the Safari Club so that you can use the award during your trip. See the Rainforest Cafe website for details.

ESPNZone MVP Club – Membership in the MVP Club does not offer any discounts on food. However, once a member you can make an online reservation for your party up to three days in advance and will get a 25% increase in points purchased when playing games in the Sports Arena (and 40 bonus points at activation). You must register online and your membership card will then be mailed to you within two weeks. The card must then be activated at any ESPNZone by the person who signed up for the card and ID will be required (link).

Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland. As always, specifics are subject to change without notice (or occasionally, without us noticing) so when information conflicts between what is presented here and that presented by Disney, it is best to assume Disney's information is correct.

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MousePlanet is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries. or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews. and guides about the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please contact destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.